I make coffee at home. Always have.
But you know what is different? I don't feel bad anymore about giving a low tip or even not tipping at all because the entire concept has been exploited and inflated to insane levels across almost every industry.
I was prompted for a minimum 18% tip at the gas station when I bought a bottle of water and that was when I decided it was okay not to feel guilty about not tipping anymore.
We don't really have this whole tipping thing here.
I've had coffee in two places recently. One was in a hypermarket. I don't remember what the coffee costs there, because it came free with the meal. If the restaurant staff feel they don't get paid enough, I don't care if they get inspiration from France and torch every car in the parking lot. You see, I go to the hypermarket by foot. It's not that far away.
The other place I had coffee recently was in the train. 2.80€. I certainly hope the restaurant car staff gets paid well. They're technically railroad employees, after all. You don't fuck with railroad workers.
I've legit gone back to cash for petty transactions. If I feel like throwing the change in the tip jar, I will. But there are no stupid prompts for a tip to deal with. Unfortunately, a lot of places are going cash free. Professional sports games is one example. Hey beer man, thanks for handling me my $12 beer. No, I'm not tipping for that.
Oh I'm sorry, I thought America was all about turning the bull loose and protecting our beloved economy in its current form at all costs.
Actions have consequences. An economy designed for infinite growth/metastasis on a very finite world has consequences. We've only just begun to feel the consequences of our not merely tolerance, but encouragement of insatiable, unaccountable greed.
Buckle up. The price of lattes will be the least of our worries. Another 10 years and Chocolate and Coffee will probably be priced out for us capital batteries. Don't worry though, they'll make some cancer causing substitute that's a third as satisfying for half the price. Be sure to CONSUME it.
I couldn't tell you, I stopped going to coffee bars when the coffee became more than half my hourly wage, I'll make my own coffee thank you very much.
Can't even go to a McDonald's anymore without spending at least $16, I've stopped going to McDonald's and started ordering Applebee's because if I'm spending $20 on a meal anyway I might as well spent $4 more on there two for 24 deal and get like three times the amount of food
My dad once pulled the "there goes 5% of her tip" when a waitress at a slammed-lunch-rush-on-a-Sunday restaurant forgot his precious iced tea. I excused myself and went to the ATM at the gas station next door to get $40 cash. When the bill came, he paid for us, and as she came to pick up the receipt I stopped her and handed the money over. Dad asked me why I did that and I told him it was a lesson for him. Manners... who fucking raised these boomers?
I tip every time I'm at a sit-down restaurant, and infrequently at other places (mostly local places, to keep them afloat - they have it harder than the food chains). That being said, if they want us to tip for just food prep and cooking, maybe make the food half-off, then we can tip them if the food is better than we thought? $5 burger...It was really good, I guess I will give them $9. $5 burger that is crap, well, it stays a $5 burger.
A venti 591ml caffe latte from Starbucks is about 8.08$cdn before tax or tip. I don't go to Starbuck much anymore.
The barista shakes his head in disgust
Its funny, because minimum wage laws are stagnant and tipped positions are even worse than the bottom rate. $2.35/hr to work in a position that's tipped.
I get it. Demanding 25% of the base price to pay your staff is a fucked way to do business. But if you're not going to pay them, their bosses don't seem interested in doing it either. Somebody's got to do it.
Latte is about €3-5 here and no tip expected, so no.
Which local coffee shop? By now there's probably 8 of them, all selling what amounts to something a well built professional coffee vending machine could produce.
Imagine a coffee vending machine with all the same ingredients that they use, which isn't much really just different coffees and syrups and milks and stuff, and has the fancy coffee making gear inside to automate the whole process, even the fancy pour designs people like.
That really doesn't sound difficult at all compared to funding an entire shop, with rent, staff, electricity for everything, all those consumables, etc etc.
I'm not saying do away with coffee shops, I'm just saying that instead of having one around every street corner, maybe replace some of them with awesome vending machines, and leave those spaces free for a non-profit community space or something :-D
Image Transcription: Twitter Post
Chris Bakke, @ChrisJBakke
The year is 2024.
You walk into your local coffee shop. A latte costs $12.
You have the choice of tipping 75%, 95%, or 125%.
You sheepishly tap "75%" and feel bad about yourself.
The barista shakes his head in disgust.
I stopped tipping. I dont feel ashamed about it at all.
